This Day in History: The Great San Francisco Earthquake
- 5 years ago
This Day in History:
The Great San Francisco Earthquake April 18, 1906 At 5:13 a.m., an earthquake
struck offshore of San Fransisco,
a city with a population of 400,000 at the time. The quake was felt from
southern Oregon to Los Angeles,
and ruptured 296 miles of the San Andreas fault. Destroying San Francisco's water mains,
the quake ignited massive, devastating
fires all over the city that could not be combated. The fires burned for days,
resulting in the deaths of more
than 3,000 people and destroying
more than 28,000 buildings. More than half
of the city was left
homeless by the disaster. Damages were estimated at an amount that
today equals to close to $15 billion. But the
recovery and rebuild allowed city planners
to make great improvements to San Francisco.
The Great San Francisco Earthquake April 18, 1906 At 5:13 a.m., an earthquake
struck offshore of San Fransisco,
a city with a population of 400,000 at the time. The quake was felt from
southern Oregon to Los Angeles,
and ruptured 296 miles of the San Andreas fault. Destroying San Francisco's water mains,
the quake ignited massive, devastating
fires all over the city that could not be combated. The fires burned for days,
resulting in the deaths of more
than 3,000 people and destroying
more than 28,000 buildings. More than half
of the city was left
homeless by the disaster. Damages were estimated at an amount that
today equals to close to $15 billion. But the
recovery and rebuild allowed city planners
to make great improvements to San Francisco.